Proper development of lift is absolutely crucial during aircraft takeoff to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew. Proper lift development is also essential for maximizing aircraft fuel efficiency, the single most costly factor in a commercial airline business. The presence of a foreign substance, such as ice or a contaminant fluid, can have a dramatic and detrimental affect on lift development and aircraft efficiency. Abnormalities in airfoil structure and unusual air conditions can also adversely affect lift development.
For these reasons, the aircraft and airline industries have dedicated large amounts of time and money to develop means for monitoring flight performance and detecting ice, wind shear, microbursts and other adverse air conditions. Examples of such systems and apparatus are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,691,356; 4,110,605; 4,490,802; 4,728,951; 4,775, 118; 4,837,695; 4,843,554; 4,980,833 and 5,047,942 the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
However, in spite of the importance lift development plays in takeoff safety and flight performance, none of the above systems and apparatus directly monitor or analyze the lift actually being produced by the lift surfaces of an aircraft. Nor do these systems and apparatus monitor a lift pattern generated across the wing span and communicate that information to the flight crew for determining whether an anomaly exists and whether corrective action is necessary.
In addition, no system or apparatus utilizes lift development data in conjunction with Advanced Flight Control Systems (AFCS) to control the aircraft or transmit lift development data to ground personnel for evaluation of flight performance and abnormalities in lift development.
The present invention is provided to solve these and other problems.